DTAC CFO named CEO of Telenor Myanmar

Furberg to lead roll-out of modern, nationwide network

Telenor Group has appointed Petter Furberg as chief executive officer of Telenor Myanmar, effective from when the company receives formal approval from the Myanmar authorities.

Furberg presently serves as chief financial officer of Thailand's second-largest mobile operator, Total Access Communication (DTAC), of which the Norwegian telecom group is a majority shareholder.

He will be responsible for the rapid roll-out of a modern telecommunications network and related services to the benefit of the entire Myanmar population, Telenor said.

"Telenor has called on one of its most experienced and competent executives to form a strong leadership team to guide our greenfield operation in Myanmar towards success. Furberg's appointment as CEO is testament to his excellent record of achievement with Telenor, including more than a decade working in Asia.

"His proven operational experience places Furberg in the best position to steer Telenor in this critical next stage in the implementation of our business strategy and development in Myanmar," said Sigve Brekke, executive vice president and Head of Telenor Asia.

"Today's leadership team announcement lays down a strong foundation for Telenor's commitment as a long-term partner to Myanmar. Each member of the executive team has demonstrated exceptional leadership capabilities in driving our businesses in many Asian markets and the team is strongly positioned to leverage Telenor's experience and cutting-edge technology to help Myanmar develop a modern telecom industry that will support achievement of its economic development objectives," he added.

"I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead Telenor Myanmar at this very exciting time in the country's emerging telecommunications industry. The executive management team that has been put in place combines a vast amount of global industry experience with a deep understanding of Asia and I am confident that we will fulfill our promise of bringing high quality, accessible and affordable mobile services to people throughout Myanmar," said Furberg.

Since joining the telecom group 14 years ago, Furberg has held a number of senior management positions within the company, including DTAC's CFO and chief marketing officer, where he oversaw product development, sales and marketing.

He also previously served as senior vice president, head of Financial Services at Telenor Group. Prior to joining Telenor, he held senior positions with the Norwegian parliament and Finance Ministry.

Telenor also announced the appointment of other members of Telenor Myanmar's executive management team. These appointments are also pending approval from the Myanmar government.

Tipayarat Kaewsringarm has been appointed chief people officer of Telenor Myanmar, and Lars Erik Tellmann has been appointed CFO.

Prathet Tankuranun has been named chief technology officer,

Sharad Mehrotra has been made chief marketing officer and Gunnar Bertelsen has been appointed chief corporate affairs officer.

Jon Eddy Abdullah, CEO of DTAC, said these appointments would have no impact on the operations of DTAC as, during the transition, the appointees would continue to take charge of their current responsibilities at the company, while preparing their succession plan with the support of the whole management team.

"As CEO of DTAC and as someone who strongly believes in care and growth, there is nothing more rewarding for me than to see how our high-calibre executives have progressed to key positions within Telenor Group and the telecom industry, which would enable them to make even greater contributions to the success of Telenor and the advancement of the telecom industry in Asia," said the chief executive.

Last month, Myanmar's government announced Telenor and Qatar Telecom as the winners of two mobile operating licences.